And Lived, And Raised A Family: Touring His Boston Home

To most Americans, July 4 marks the nation`s birthday, but ask any Bostonian worth his beans and he`ll tell you that April 18 is when U.S. history really got started.

For it was at 10 p.m. on that date in 1775 that a 40-year-old gold- and silversmith (and part-time dentist) named Paul Revere left his small frame house on North Square to embark on the midnight mission that would become immortalized by the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

That house, which already was 90 years old when Revere moved in with his wife, Sara, their five children and his elderly mother, Deborah, still stands- the last remaining structure from 17th Century Boston. Each year about 200,000 people walk through.

Many tourists like to visit ``the Reveres` place`` in April when New Englanders celebrate Patriots Day on the third Monday, a period filled with parades, battle re-enactments, musters and ceremonies that commemorate the events of April 18-19 and the start of the American Revolution.

Two lanterns are hung in the steeple of nearby Old North Church, guns roar as the Battle of Lexington heats up once again and you can usually find a modern version of Revere himself riding off in a cloud of dust to warn of the British approach. (The Boston Marathon, now a regular part of the Patriots Day activities, was added in 1897.)

But there is something to be said for a walk through the three-story structure any time of year, as it offers lessons about the way people lived in those days.

Detours along the ride

For example, you`ll discover that the midnight ride was not a total success. Revere made it to Lexington, where he succeeded in warning John Hancock and Sam Adams of the British approach. From there he set out toward Concord, but never arrived. Riding with William Dawes, a second courier, and Samuel Prescott, a local doctor, he was intercepted by a British patrol halfway to Concord. Dawes eluded the patrol but lost his horse and never reached his destination. Revere was detained for a short time, his horse taken from him; he was forced to return to Lexington on foot. Only Prescott escaped and completed the mission to Concord.

By the time Revere bought the place in 1770, the house already had changed hands several times. It was built in 1680 by Robert Howard, a wealthy merchant. It had also undergone several alterations. The roofline was raised, with windows added to the third story.

Today, the house reflects both its original 17th Century appearance and the later Revere period, and the self-guided stroll through the four rooms open to visitors provides a pretty good impression of the way the Reveres lived.

Kitchen duties

For urban women such as Sara (and Paul`s second wife, Rachel, whom he married in 1773 after Sara`s death) managing the household was a full-time job, with food preparation a major portion of the task.

The kitchen, with its wooden crossbeams and low, white ceiling, is typical of the 18th Century. Iron pots, kettles and other cooking utensils hang over the brick fireplace; foodstuffs hang from the walls.

Next to the kitchen on the first floor is a room called ``The Hall.`` The oak-beamed room was certainly the most versatile in the Colonial house. At various times of the day it was used as a parlor, dining room, spare bedroom, workshop and business office.

The English and American furniture in this room reflects the period before the Reveres moved in, probably closer to what was used by Howard. They include a press cupboard for linens; a day bed; a three-cornered chair; and a gateleg table.

Dual-purpose room

Upstairs, in the yellow-and-white ``Best Chamber,`` there are several pieces of furniture that belonged to the Reveres. They include the bowfront dresser to the left of the bed; a large upholstered chair, now recovered in a period cream, red and green floral print on cotton; and a ladies` work table with a green sewing basket on it.

The four-poster bed is a period piece, but not one actually used by the Reveres. Here again, the room is multifunctional, serving as master bedroom and elegant parlor. The practice of using rooms for several purposes was common in middle-class homes, which often didn`t have separate parlors or sitting rooms.

On the way into the children`s room there is a fascinating showcase containing several original Revere silver engravings as well as an ad for his dental services. (He made house calls.) Between 1768 and 1775 Revere supplemented his income by cleaning original teeth and wiring in false ones-a trade he had picked up from Dr. John Baker, the local surgeon-dentist.

A look at the small upstairs children`s room reminds one that Revere`s two marriages produced 16 children.